Method of making containers



June 25, 1935. H. M. WARE METHOD OF MAKING CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 4, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l H. M. WARE June 25, I935.

METHOD OF MAKING CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 4, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 25, 1935 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING CONTAINERS Herbert Maclean WarelNorthwood, England Application January 4, 1933, Serial No. 650,151

r In Great Britain January 14, 1932 2 Claims. (Cl. 9336) This invention relates to a method of making which illustrate some examples of the invention containers for storing, transporting or holding and in which: liquid, powders or other substances and has par- Figure l is a front view of a container or carton ticular reference to cartons or containers of the having it y p formed in accordance with type which are formed by shaping a sheet of the invention, 5

flexible material, such as paper, wood pulp or Figure 2 is an end view of Figu the like to tubular form so that the longitudinal Fi 3 is a plan view of the sealing strip medges of the sheet meet, or nearly meet, or overp y in es 1 a d lap and then securely fixing th aid t b in h Figure 4 is a horizontal section of a container position, or carton and illustrates another method of car- 10 The object of the invention is to provide an Tying Out the invention, improved method of making containers as above Figure 5 is a Similar w to Figure 4 l u tratde ribed, ing an alternative arrangement of the overlap- According to one feature of the invention a p edges of a Container 01 c rt n having d ub e container or carton is formed by shaping a sheet Walls, '15 of flexibl material, h as paper, t t Figure 6 is a front view of a container or carquired form of t body of t container and ton illustrating astill further method of carrying securing the body in such form by material se- 011t the invention, cured to the inner and/or outer surface or sur- Figure 7 illustrates a blank f om which the faces of the container body in the'region of the Container body illustrated'in Figure 6 formed, 20 adjace t opposed or overlapping edge5 I Figure 8 illustrates another-blank from which Thus in accordance with the invention a sheet containers cartons in aecordancewith the of flexible material, such as paper, may be shaped Ventien may be formed, v v to tubular form so that the adjacent edges thereu s 9 and 10 are fragmentary end Views of overlap each other and the tubular formthus i us a i two stages of a p ti a method 23 effected maintained by the introduction of other of closing an end O a Container 0 Ca flexible material applied to the inner or outer wall Figure 11 is a side view of Figures 9 and 10,

of the tube, the overlapping edges being pref- Figure 12 is 'a vertical section illustrating an erably'temporarily held in position-mechanically alternative form of container, and mode of sealor otherwise, during the application of the 'sealing same, the section being on the line AA in 30 ing material; The mode of securing together the Figure 13, overlapping edges prior to permanent sealing of Figure'lii is a plan V Figure 12 looking the body may be varied according, to the pardown on the seal or closure, ticular circumstances existing. For instance, in Figure 14 and 15 are vertical section (the secsome cases, the overlapping portions or edges may ion being ent e ine 3-3 in Figure 15) and be cut, indented, punched-out or otherwise plan (with the sealing cap removed) views reshaped or formed to interlock with one another, spectively, similar to Figures 12 and '13 but illuswhilst, in others, they may be secured together trating another form of container and mode of by sewing or lacing threads of cotton, silk, metal sealing same,

wire, paper or other convenient material. Also, Figures 16 and 17 are side elevation and plan 40 in some instances, metallic eyelets, clips or other views (with the outer sealing disc removed) known forms of fastening members may be emrespectively, of a still further form of container ployed or an adhesive, such as gum, or other suitand seal therefor, and able means may be employed for temporarily Figures 18 and 19 are sectional side and plan 5 holding the overlapping edges prior to the apviews'respectively of a still further form of conplication and fixing of the reinforcing element. tainer according to the invention, Figure 19 being The insert or reinforcing element preferably a section on the line C-C in Figure 18. consists of a sheet of flexible material, such as In carrying the invention into effect according paper, wood pulp or the like, the width of which to one convenient mode and. as illustrated in 5 is such that it extends over substantially one half Figures 1 to 3, a preformed sheet or blank is 5 of the inner surface of the tube and effectively shaped to form a tube l of cylindrical or truncovers the joint. cated conical form with the longitudinal edges The invention also comprises other features 2, 3 of the blank overlapping and the tubular which will be hereinafter described or indicated form is maintained by an insert or sealing strip with reference to the accompanying drawings 4, which is placed loosely within the tube and the whole waxed or otherwise proofed to an extent and in, such a manner as is suflicient effectively to bind the component parts into a homogenous structure and render the tube impervious to liquid and moisture and to cause the insert or sealing strip to become positively sealed in position. The sealing strip may be of such lateral dimension that it covers more than one half of the surface of the container body to which it is applied.

In the particular example illustrated the strip 4 is of such lateral dimension that it completely covers the half of the container body at the tapered end of the latter where portions 5 of the strip extend into the other half of the container body where these portions when waxed or otherwise treated adhere closely to the adjacent surfaces of the body. The overlapping edgesof the container body may be held together prior to the completion of the seal by one or other of the methods indicated above and one such method is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 wherein the overlapping edges of the container body are held together by tongues 6 provided on one edge engaging slits I formed in the other edge.

Alternatively the adjacent opposed edges of a container body may be held together, or in close proximity to each other by clips or other suitable means provided, for example, on a conveyor which serves to immerse the container in a wax bath. For example, such a conveyor may have clips or other members thereon adapted,

respectively, to grasp the edges of the container body or encircle or hold the latter such that the container body is supported with its said edges overlapping each other or in close proximity to each other, it being apparent that the provision of some such means for holding the container body in its tubular or other .required shape renders it possible to carry out the invention without the necessity of actually causing the said edges of the container body to overlap each other though such an arrangement of these edges may be preferred.

In connection with milk containers or receptacles having the edges of the container body in overlapping relationship it has been found that, if the overlapping edges are left uncovered on the inside of the receptacle, there is a tendency for portions of the milk, particularly the fat globules, to become isolated beneath the flap formed by the overlapping edges, with the consequent danger of souring and that this drawback can effectively be overcome by employing an insert or sealing strip such as that above referred to.

Owing to the fact that the tube is reinforced, the sheet material employed may be considerably thinner than is usually employed for the making of receptacles or containers of the type with which the present invention is concerned and the costs of production materially reduced. Moreover, as the sealing strip, which also provides a reinforcement, usually extends over only a part of the inner surface of the tube, it is possible by the aid of the present invention to produce containers possessing a greater degree of translucency than hitherto.

In the case of containers constructed in accordance with the embodiments illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, to be described later, it is possible to employ thinner material throughout so that the above advantage as to the containers having a greater degree of translucency than hitherto is rendered even more possible.

In some cases the sealing strip may be applied to the outer surface of the container body or a sealing strip may be applied both to the inner and outer surfaces or, as illustrated in Figure 4, the container body may be composed of a pair of tubular parts 8, 9, formed from blanks of the form illustrated in Figure 8, arranged so that their longitudinal edges overlap each other or meet, or substantially meet, and so that the longitudinal edges of one tubular part lie opposite to or are displaced from the longitudinal edges of the other tubular part so that the said edges of one part are faced by the material of the other part.

Figure 5 illustrates another form of the invention when employing a pair of tubular parts 8 9 but in this figure a longitudinal edge of each blank from which the tubular parts are formed is brought to the outside so that each overlapping pair of edges is separated and completely faced by the intervening material indicated at H].

'Figure 8 illustrates the shape of the blank, or blanks, which may conveniently be employed in forming a container body, as illustrated in Figures 1, 4 and 5 and also in Figure 12, to be described later, and if desired the blank may be of such width that when formed into the required shape of the container body a portion thereof may be employed to form the reinforcing and sealing strip at the overlap thereby substituting the strip 4, illustrated in Figures 1 to 3. The blank may, if desired, be of such width that when formed-into the required shape it forms a container body of double thickness, i. e. a body having double walls, which may be secured together by waxing or otherwise proofing the material so that the adjacent walls adhere closely to one another. It has been found when employing a pair of similarly formed tubes arranged one within the other, with the outer wall of the inner tube adhering to the inner wall of the outer tube, that adherence of these surfaces may be effected efiiciently by wax applied to the surfaces of the tubes.

Various forms of closures may be employed for closing the open ends of the tubes. Preferably a disc closure is employed to form the bottom of the receptacle and the upper end of the receptacle may be closed, or adapted to be closed, by another disc or by collapsing the upper end of the tube until the opposite portions thereof lie contiguous to each other so that they can be secured together by a metallic or paper strip or other suitable means.

In some instances, the metallic or paper strip or other-securing means'may be dispensed with and the contiguous ends united by heat and/or pressure. If desired, the continguous ends may be doubled over together or one upon the other. Also, in cases where a metallic or paper strip or other securing means is employed, heat may be applied to the metallic strip or other means before or after it is applied to the contiguous ends.

In the specific forms of containers illustrated the bottom thereof is indicated at 8 and is sealed by a disc closure as above described while the top is indicated at 9 and may be closed by a metallic strip or otherwise, as above described.

In Figures 9, 10 and 11 the tapered end of a container of conical cross section is closed and sealed by a clip ll of thin sheet metal or other suitable material, such as stifi paper, which is applied over the end of the container body and subsequently bent or deformed, together with the neighbouring material of the container, into the form illustrated, for example, in Figure 10, or the sealing clip and neighbouring material may be rolled together so as to complete-the'seal.

The said strip, in one specific example, is of a length sufficient to enable the clip to extend along the entire width of the container (see Figure 11) and is bent into substantially U-shape having one side leg longer than the other (Figure 9), the clip, with the edges of the container enclosed thereby, being folded upon itself, so that the folded over portion may be flat against the remaining portion of the container end with the shorter side of the clip innermost.

In a modification the clip may have side legs of equal length in which case folding takes place about a line intermediate to the top of the clip (i. e. the apex of the U) and the edge of .one of the side legs. I

In either form, after the clip has been folded same may be subjected to pressure in order to press the adjacent parts together and effect a complete seal and/or reinforcement and for this purpose the clip may be indented or otherwise formed to penetrate or pierce the adjacent material of the container.

Alternatively or in addition to pressing of the clip in the above manner after folding thereof same may be subjected to pressure before folding and after the clip has been applied.

The clip may be applied manually or by means of suitable apparatus although the thin strip metal which is mainly intended for use in carrying out the invention permits of ready manipulation by hand.

It will be appreciated that the invention can be applied for the purpose of sealing the flattened end of container or carton or when applied to a container or carton which is already sealedat such end serves to reinforce or strengthen the container at this end and, in fact, the clip, in all cases, serves as a reinforcement or strengthener enabling the container to be held securely by the end where the clip is applied when filled. Further, as a convenient means of carrying the container, string or the like may be threaded between the parts of the clip and the container, being there secured in position by the folding process above referred to and being provided with loops or handles by which the container may be supported or carried.

Referring to Figures 12 and 13 the container illustrated therein comprises a body portion of double thickness, i. e. having double walls l2, l3, and said body is sealed at one end by folding the end portions of the inner body portion l3, and inserting a flanged sealing cap [4 in the end of the container body so as to cover the folded portions of the inner body portion or another flanged seal ing cap previously inserted in the end of the container.

The end portions of the body portion l3 may be folded on to a collapsible mandrel placed within the body and in the particular arrangement illustrated in Figure 13 four inwardly folded flaps are formed being indicated at l5, l5, l5", l5. It is to be understood, however, that the end portions of this body portion may be folded differently from the arrangement illustrated and since the sealing cap I4 covers the folds it is not essential that same should completely close the end of the inner body portion l3.

After folding of the ends of the body portion I3 and insertion of the sealing cap M, the closure may be completed by waxing or otherwise treating the parts so as to cause same to adhere together with or without the aid of heat and/or rality of points.

pressure, the flange of the sealing cap in the completion of the closure adhering closely to the adjacent side walls of the outer body portion I! or to the flange of another sealing cap previously inserted in the end of the container as above described.

The container illustrated in Figures 14 and 15 is similar to that illustrated in Figures 12 and 13 as regards the closing of an end thereof, being mainly different from these latter figures as regards the shape of the container, the container in Figures 14 and 15 being of rectangular form as compared with the cylindrical and tapering form of container illustrated in Figures 12 and 13, and the end portions of the inner body portion l3 being rolled together as is clearly illustrated in Figure 14 wherein the size of the roll is exaggerated somewhat for the sake of clearness, the closure for this end of the container body being completed by the flanged sealing cap 14 inserted in the open end of the container and having its flange in close contact with the adjacent walls of the outer body portion l2. 1 Referring to Figures 16 and 1'7 an end of a container body having multiple walls is closed by folding the end portions of the inner wall l6 of the container inwardly and applying a closure disc I1 over the folds, said disc having depending parts 18, which extend down between the outside of the inner wall of the container body, to which they may be secured, and the outer wall 2| of the body. The container body is preferably provided with upstanding portions l9 disposed at spaced intervals around the periphery of the folded container body and these upstanding portions may .be formed during the process of folding the end portions of the container body inwardly or by a separate folding process, the lines 20, in Figure 17, indicating those about which these upstanding portions are formed by. an upward bending of the material about such lines.

The body of a container made in accordance with the invention may be reinforced at a plu- For example, in the container illustrated in Figures reinforced at two opposite sides 23, 24 (Figure 19) by a strip of material having side portions 25, 26,

which are secured to'the inner surfaces of said sides 23, 24 of the body and are united at one end by a part 21 which lies against, or is secured to, the underside of a sealing cap 28 inserted in the open end of the container body, which latter may be of rectangular shape as illustrated. Such a construction leaves intermediate sides 29, 30 which, being unreinforced, have greater translucency than the other and reinforced sides.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the above deails but is capable of modification to meet any particular requirements or practical conditions it may .be desired to fulfill. Thus, containers required to contain powder or dry substances need not be waxed or proofed and the closures therefor, including the joining of the longitudinal edges of the body, may be completed by mechanical fasteners or folding of the material may be relied upon for this purpose.

Further the various forms of containers illustrated in the drawings of my application and described above may have the longitudinal edges of the container b'ody sealed in accordance with the method and means particularly described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

I claim:

1. Method of making a container body of iongitudinal tapering form. from paper or the like 18 and 19, the body 22 is gitudinal tapering form from paper or like material which consists in forming a sheet into the shape of the body, temporarily holding together the opposed longitudinal edges of the so formed sheet so that the interior of the body is left open and passing the body through a bath of proofing medium with the narrow open end thereof in front so that the latter enters the interior of the body and exerts pressure against the said opposed edges of the sheet so that when the proofing medium sets these edges are sealed together and per- 10 manency is imparted to the body.

HERBERT MACLEAN WARE. 

